“You know, Miss Lee Sang-Hee. I think there’s a disgusting traitor within the Blue Guild and they’re the culprit that killed the guild master,” I told her.

When I looked around after I finished talking, there was a strange silence. Lee Sang-Hee had her mouth closed and Hwang Jung-Yeon simply nodded since we had discussed this before. The other members that weren’t involved in this looked around while Lee Seol-Ho and the other gramps frowned. Even if they weren’t the ones that killed the guild master, I was sure that the words, disgusting traitor, were embedded into their heads.

‘Because it’s the truth.’

Obviously, there had to be a foundation since this kind of situation couldn’t be done with just instigation and fabrication. Fabrication was more than enough to exaggerate the foundation. If I had to give an example, the foundation could be exaggerated, but the truth mixed with lies would be surprisingly convincing.

I wasn’t smart nor was I good at talking. But the ability to read someone’s nature through Mind’s Eyes made me able to deduce their overall personality and how they would act. If I had no idea about the other person’s nature, then I wouldn’t have been able to write a proper script and the reality was that I had to rely on this ability. If I was an actual genius, then I wouldn’t be thinking so much.

As expected, the gramps started to make a fuss.

“I-It’s not really the right time to… cause trouble, Mr. Lee Ki-Young.”

“I understand what you mean, but rather than talking about this, shouldn’t we take care of the situation that’s going to take place? Miss Lee Sang-Hee, let’s go back and…” 

“No, I think it’ll be best to hear him out,” Lee Sang-Hee said, interrupting Lee Seol-Ho.

“But…”

“I want to hear what he has to say,” she told him.

Unfortunately for him, Lee Sang-Hee was on our side. She wasn’t an idiot. It was quite possible that she felt something strange from their actions because the support team didn’t arrive quickly and he also didn’t want to join the expedition. She probably doubted him a few times before, but the thing that shielded them from her suspicion was the relationship that they had built. The relationship that they had built a long time ago caused her suspicion to become stagnant.

‘I just need to help her grow her suspicions.’

The only thing I could do for Lee Sang-Hee was to add fuel to the fire.

“The behavior pattern of those with vested interest is simple. Once they think their possessions are going to get taken away, they’ll start flailing and do whatever it takes to prevent it and I believe that there are people like that within the Blue Guild.” I explained.

I didn’t say any names, but I didn’t stop looking at them. Even though I didn’t say who those people were, I was certain that everyone must have noticed it by now.

‘Seol-Ho.’

Provoking someone little by little was much worse than being openly hostile and I was proud of being the best at provoking people.

I noticed Lee Seol-Ho’s face turning red as he looked at me.

“Your imagination is a bit too much, haha,” Lee Seol-Ho said.

“I’m sure it’s very heartbreaking to see a reality that’s different from before, Mr. Seol-Ho. You can be considered a hero since you’re one of the original members of the glorious Blue Guild and you have contributed a lot to the guild, so I’m sure that the guild’s current state can’t satisfy you anymore,” I said to him.

“...”

“You might’ve had to make an extreme decision for your future and for the guild. For example, getting help from another guild… or maybe you’re feeling inferior to someone. I understand that you’re feeling uneasy since a new member that had just joined the guild successfully made an alliance with a large guild within Lindel,” I added.

“What?” Lee Seol-Ho asked.

“Bringing in a large guild from a different city is an idea that only an incompetent old man is able to do, but I applaud you for your effort. I’ll give you six points,” I said.

When I quietly let my mana flow while mocking him, the reports that I received from Lee Ji-Hye started flying within the guild and it was to the point that I wanted to set up a projector and start a presentation on it. It was a bit uncomfortable, but I was sure that it wasn’t difficult to read the information that was written on the paper that was flying around. The fact that Lee Seol-Ho was colluding with the Japanese from the free city of Celia was an issue that had already been confirmed. Even though they only met three times, the dates and times were clearly written on there and this data was the truth.

“How did you…”

“I’m usually a bit skeptical, so I always prepare different things,” I told Lee Sang-Hee.

“The information has been fabricated, Miss Lee Sang-Hee,” Lee Seol-Ho said.

“Whether it’s been fabricated or not, it’ll be revealed sooner or later. Mr. Hyun-Sung, the leader of party seven, and the Black Swan Guild have been working hard to find out the identity of those that attacked me,” I explained.

“The people that attacked you in the first place have nothing to do with us! Mr. Ki-Young, I completely understand that you’re angry, but it doesn’t make sense to corner an innocent person by fabricating information like this,” Lee Seol-Ho said, angrily.

“I don’t know why you keep thinking that this was fabricated, but… are you confident?” I asked him.

“What do you…”

“Are you confident that the information written here is fake? The truth will eventually come out, you stupid, incompetent bastard. Even if you keep telling us that you didn’t meet with the guild from Celia, you would still need to explain what you did during that time.” I pointed out.

He wouldn’t be able to explain it because he couldn’t deny the fact that they actually met with the Yamato Guild. They probably knew the truth better than anyone, so continuously denying it was actually better because that would put us in a more advantageous situation. No matter how hard they would try to hide the facts, the moment we revealed one, the remaining would eventually be revealed. It would make things better for me if it was revealed that Lee Seol-Ho had been lying and honestly, I actually wanted him to deny it a bit more.

That was when Lee Seol-Ho started talking…

“It’s true that I met them, Miss Lee Sang-Hee.”

‘...’

“But I swear to you, I know nothing about the guild master’s death and the recent attack,” he added.

‘Bullshit.’

That was when I also realized that I wasn’t the only one that knew how to instigate and fabricate because they were also mixing lies with the truth.

It was true that he had no connection with the guild master’s death, but the fact that he said he didn’t know anything about the attack was a fabrication. He acknowledged part of it while he denied the other part and I was sure that he was going to mention something obvious like he just wanted to help the guild. 

My assumption was correct because I heard Lee Seol-Ho say it, word for word.

“I just wanted to help the guild.”

“...”

“We don’t know when the Blue Guild will fall, so I had to consider the possibility that you might not return, Miss Lee Sang-Hee. I had no choice but to do that in order to preserve the guild that the guild master had always been protecting. It was all for the guild,” he said.

“Was there a reason why I wasn’t informed of this earlier?” Lee Sang-Hee asked.

“I just wanted to help because it’s a guild that the guild master and I created. I love the Blue Guild more than anyone, so saying that I killed the guild master is absolutely ridiculous, Miss Lee Sang-Hee,” he explained.

“Sh… Shut up,” she stuttered.

“Miss Lee Sang-Hee,” he said.

“Shut your mouth… Lee Seol-Ho,” she told him.

It was a good attempt, but it wasn’t effective.

I realized that Lee Seol-Ho was the one that was helping Lee Sang-Hee’s suspicion grow, not me. There had been no barrier that was blocking her from being suspicious of him.

Lee Seol-Ho’s backup plan wasn’t bad, but it was nothing more than a backup plan and it didn’t invalidate the fact that he and his lackeys had colluded with a different guild.

“You crazy gramps are smooth talkers… saying that it was for the guild is bullshit. Colluding with another guild behind the person with the most authority in the group is called betrayal, you incompetent fools. I didn’t expect you to reveal the fact that you betrayed the guild. I never imagined it,” I said.

“Betrayal?! How dare you say such a ridiculous word?! I was just coming up with a plan! Forming a support party within Lindel wasn’t easy, so I reached out to a guild outside for their help and you call that betrayal?! You’re making the situation even worse,” Lee Seol-Ho yelled.

“The bullshit you’re spitting out is something I’ve heard many times. Look, gramps. The people that ruin a country or a group have one thing in common and it’s that they always bring in external forces… you guys have no imagination at all. All of you crazy gramps are the ones that are worsening the issues, not us,” I explained.

“Of course, I was going to tell you everything, Miss Lee Sang-Hee,” Lee Seol-Ho said.

“Considering the fact that you’ve kept it a secret up until now tells me that you were never going to tell me. From the beginning, the Yamato Guild was never going to create a support party to come and help us,” Lee Sang-Hee said.

“We just wanted to make sure that everything was perfect, Miss Lee Sang-Hee,” he said.

“If that’s the case, then you’re just ridiculously incompetent. I don’t understand why you’re so proud of the fact that it took you more than a week to create a support party… pffft. You’re also lying to me, Mr. Lee Seol-Ho. The Black Swan Guild has finished their investigation by asking the people in the plaza, and they confirmed that you purposely delayed the creation of the support party,” I told him.

“Bullshit!” Lee Seol-Ho yelled.

“You’re the one saying all this bullshit, you crazy gramps! Isn’t the reason why you really didn’t want to go to the Cursed Shrine was because you were expecting the expedition party to die? Miss Lee Sang-Hee, this disgusting traitor was definitely going to take control of the Blue Guild after hearing the news of our annihilation, so I’m sure that he targeted the guild master as well,” I told her.

“Stop talking nonsense when you don’t know anything! The guild master and I have spent a lot of time together! He was like my little brother and a family to me, so there’s no reason for me to harm Joo Seung-Joon,” Lee Seol-Ho said.

“People usually murder others because of their greed,” I said.

“I’m being framed! I swear to god that I have never harmed the guild master!” Lee Seol-Ho said desperately.

“Oh yeah? If you didn’t harm him, then what’s this, Mr. Lee Seol-Ho?” I asked him.

I took out the potion that I got from Lee Ji-Hye and the people around us started gathering.

“What’s…”

“Your acting is really impressive. Mr. Lee Seol-Ho, you should know better than anyone what this is, right?” I asked him.

When I shook the bottle while mocking him, I noticed his face shaking in anger.

“The reason why you tried to kill me in the first place was because of this, you old man,” I said.

“That’s bullshit… Miss Lee Sang-Hee! I’m being framed! I would never do…”

“What that incompetent man is saying is slander, Miss Lee Sang-Hee. This is the potion that Lee Seol-Ho used to murder the guild master. This potion is a type of tranquilizer that helps the body, but it can be very deadly to some people, so if it’s used on someone that’s dying, the potion will slowly kill them,” I explained.

“I’ve never seen or heard of such a potion! You scum! How dare you try to frame me?!” he yelled at me.

“It’s true that not many people know about this, but this type of potion usually leaves a trail. When you open the lid, the fine particles that float in the air will stick to woolen clothes, so if we analyze Lee Seol-Ho’s clothes for the traces of this chemical, I’m sure that we’ll get the answer right away. Actually, there’s no need to analyze it,” I said.

When I started to recite a spell, the potion I was holding started to glow and as expected, the light was starting to envelop Lee Seol-Ho’s clothes. When I glanced at Hwang Jung-Yeon, I noticed her nodding and it was a sign telling me that my spell wasn’t being manipulated in any way.

“I’m not sure why your clothes have traces of this potion, Mr. Lee Seol-Ho,” I said.

“I-I’m being framed, Miss Lee Sang-Hee! It’s true! I have no connection to the guild master’s death! Why would I do such a thing?!” Lee Seol-Ho yelled desperately.

His shocked reaction was amusing to watch and it wasn’t just Lee Seol-Ho. Even though the gramps beside him weren’t yelling at Lee Sang-Hee, there was no way that she would listen to the words of criminals.

“Framed by ass… you disgusting, incompetent scums. They’re all evil, Miss Lee Sang-Hee. I’m certain that Mr. Joo Seung-Joon experienced a painful death while holding onto his consciousness. I’m sure that he had been very heartbroken by the fact that he was betrayed by the person he trusted…” I said.

“That’s all bullshit! Please, Sang-Hee! Please trust me. Everything that the dirty alchemist has said are lies!” he said to her. 

He was now using their relationship and his desperation was quite a sight.

“Since the first day we came here, I always thought of you and Seung-Joon as family. Since I didn’t have a family here, you two were my family, so I would never do something like that. You should know that better than anyone. Everything that the dirty alchemist has said are lies! Jung-Yeon! Please say some… everyone, none of this is true!” Lee Seol-Ho screamed.

“Lies my ass,” I commented.

Lee Seol-Ho’s method was pretty simple. If someone asked me to write a manual on how to use Lee Seol-Ho, then I would write this down. He was incompetent, greedy, and hot-tempered. When I raised the corner of my lips, his face turned even redder.

“The truth will eventually come out,” I told him.

“You bastard…” he said to me.

“Guards, take this crazy old man immediately…”

“How dare you! You were the problem all along! You’re the lump of cancer within the guild!” he yelled at me.

“I don’t think you have the right to call me that since you’re obviously the incompetent one in the guild. No, it’s actually a relief that you’re incompetent because you left a trace of your crimes,” I said to him.

“How dare you frame me like this?! You’re framing me for this when I’ve protected the Blue Guild all my life?! Let go of me! Do all of you really believe what that crazy scum is saying? Let go of me! How dare you!” Lee Seol-Ho yelled.

Watching him break free from the guards was amusing and when I kept grinning, I guess he couldn’t contain his anger anymore because he started to run toward me.

“You dirty bastard! You were the problem all along!” he said again.

I didn’t bother dodging him this time, and it wasn’t because I trusted Juliena. It was because I trusted Lee Sang-Hee, who was crying. As if she was fulfilling my expectation, Lee Sang-Hee, who was engulfed in sadness and anger, roared. “You’re worse than animals!” 

Boom! 

Lee Seol-Ho’s arm was severed, and I saw him flying into a wall.

‘Bravo!’

This was the sight I wanted to see.